RFD-TV

WATCH: High-speed broadband is essential for rural America to survive in this interconnected world

The bipartisan Rural Broadband Caucus has sent a letter to the White House, urging the Biden administration to prioritize investments in the nationwide infrastructure.

The letter states, “In the 21st century, high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury amenity, but rather an essential service for homes and businesses in this interconnected world.”

It is a sentiment echoed by caucus member Abigail Spanberger during an Agri-Pulse webinar. She says that the lack of rural broadband directly impacts farmer’s ability to act when necessary.

According to Rep. Spanberger, “For everything from being able to update machinery to communicate with buyers and suppliers, the internet really matters.”

“It matters to the workforce that they can recruit. It matters to the folks who might be able to work from home who would want to move back… and those folks maybe might not work there locally, but they’d live there, they would be involved in the community, they’d go out to restaurants, and that revenue stream for that local community is so vitally important to have someone who’s a taxpayer and a homeowner living and giving back to a community,” she adds.

In his “Rural Economic Development Strategy,” President Biden has called for $20 billion dollars for getting broadband to communities that do not have it.